Carroll responds to Harbaugh’s comments about Seahawks

RENTON — Count Jim Harbaugh among those who have noticed the Seahawks‘ recent string of suspensions for performance-enhancing drugs.

Harbaugh, the 49ers coach whose rocky relationship with Seattle coach Pete Carroll dates back to their Pac-10 days, said, among other things, that “if you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost.”

“Is it a concern? I’ve definitely noticed it,” Harbaugh said, according to The Associated Press. “You don’t know what it is. Even when people say what it is, you don’t know that that’s what it is. I’ve heard this thrown out or that, but that’s usually the agents or the players themselves saying it’s, for example, Adderall. But the NFL doesn’t release what it actually is, so you have no idea. You’re taking somebody at their word that I don’t know if you can take them at their word, understanding the circumstances.

“It has no place in an athlete’s body. Play by the rules. You always want to be above reproach, especially when you’re good, because you don’t want people to come back and say, ‘They’re winning because they’re cheating.’ That’s always going to be a knee-jerk reaction in my experience, ever since I was a little kid. We want to be above reproach in everything and do everything by the rules. Because if you don’t, if you cheat to win, then you’ve already lost, according to Bo Schembechler. And (the late Michigan coach) Bo Schembechler is about next to the word of God as you can get in my mind. It’s not the word of God, but it’s close.”

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Carroll responded after Tuesday’s minicamp. When asked if he had any concern about his team developing a reputation for PED use, Carroll said: “We’ve kind of dealt with this to set into motion a really clear mindset to take care of business and treat this situation that is around the league very seriously. I don’t know about commenting about anybody else’s team, but as far as we’re concerned we feel like we’ve addressed it directly.”

Quarterback Tarvaris Jackson is expected to visit Seattle in the next couple of days with the possibility of signing a contract.

Jackson, 30, was waived by the Buffalo Bills on Monday. Jackson played for the Seahawks in 2011, when he completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,091 yards with 14 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

He played with current Seahawks receivers Percy Harvin and Sidney Rice during his final two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings. Jackson also played under current Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell in Minnesota.

The news was first reported by ESPN.

It’s unclear what Jackson’s signing would mean for Brady Quinn, brought in to be Russell Wilson’s backup. The Seahawks also have quarterback Jerrod Johnson in mini-camp.

One of the people calling for Jackson to return is Doug Baldwin, the Seahawks’ third-year receiver. Baldwin tweeted on Monday, “It would be a good move to bring @7tjackson back … my honest opinion.”

Baldwin expanded on that after Tuesday’s minicamp. He paused when asked what Jackson would bring to the Seahawks.

“So much,” Baldwin said. “He’s got leadership capabilities that extended on the field and off the field. He’s loved in the locker room because what he did for us in 2011. He fought through injuries and was able to put his best foot forward out on the field. The guys in the locker room love him.

“He’s got unbelievable knowledge about the game. I know he’s going to have a lot of insight for Russell because Russell is still growing and T-Jack is such a wonderful mind to pick that it will be beneficial to everyone in the locker room if he’s able to come back.”

Notes

• Defensive end Cliff Avril practiced for the first time this offseason. Avril did individual workouts with the rest of the defensive line before sitting out during the team portion of practice. Avril suffered a plantar fascia injury in his foot earlier this offseason.

• Tight end Zach Miller didn’t practice because of a sore foot Carroll said Miller’s injury isn’t serious and said he sat out as a precaution.

• Defensive end Chris Clemons was at minicamp but did not practice. Clemons is still recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and damaged meniscus. Carroll said it’s unclear if he will be ready for the first game.

• Cornerback Tharold Simon sat out with a “stress-fracture type” injury, according to Carroll.